Developments in Libya were the main issue discussed in talks between
U.S. President Barack Obama and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou,
according to Greece's foreign minister Dimitris Droutsas.

In an interview with the state television channel NET on Saturday morning,
Droutsas said the issue of what would happen next and what role Greece
might play due to its strategic significance in the region dominated
their discussion.

Pointing out that the Greek prime minister had called for continuing
diplomatic efforts at the international meeting on Libya held in Paris,
Droutsas said that all sides recognised Greece's special position and
also the potential role that the prime minister might play. He referred
to the good relations that Greece maintains with both the Arab world,
Israel but also Turkey, in this regard.

Another important issue covered in the Obama-Papandreou phone conversation
were the decisions at the European Council, with Obama asking to be
briefed by Papandreou and once again acknowledged the efforts being made
by Greece and its people to exit the crisis.

Referring to a meeting on Libya that will take place in London next
Tuesday, with the participation of NATO member-state and Arab foreign
ministers, Droutsas said that Greece would be presenting its own positions
and proposals for the "following day".

The White House issued a readout on Friday of US President Barack Obama's
telephone call to Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou earlier in
the day.

"President Obama called Prime Minister Papandreou today (Friday) to
congratulate him and the Greek People on the 190th anniversary of Greek
independence," the statement said

"The two leaders discussed developments in North Africa and their support
for the Libyan people. The President noted Greece's solidarity as a
NATO ally and the critical role NATO will be playing in implementing
UNSCR 1973. He thanked Prime Minister Papandreou for Greece's important
support of coalition operations to enforce the resolution," it added.

"The President also recognized the Prime Minister's leadership in
implementing an ambitious economic reform program. President Obama and
Prime Minister Papandreou agreed that the United States and Greece would
continue to consult closely as events unfold across the Middle East and
North Africa," the readout concluded.

[03] ND to take parliamentary initiative on submarine kickbacks scandal

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) will take an initiative for the
establishment of a parliamentary fact-finding commission into the case of
possible kickbacks paid by German companies in the purchase of submarines
by Greece, ND press spokesman Yiannis Michelakis announced on Saturday.

Michelakis also left open the possibility of ND also submitting a proposal
in parliament for the establishment of a parliamentary preliminary
investigation committee into the same case.

"Although Greek justice has submitted to parliament the case file on the
submarines scandal and ongoing revelations certify an immense looting
of public monies, the government has not dared, as it is its duty, to
take any initiative for investigation of the scandal by parliament,"
Michelakis said in an announcement.

The case, he explained, concerns a direct assignment by the then
PASOK government, "the advancement and implementation for which tens
of millions of euros were given out, as it has been revealed," the ND
spokesman explained.

In the face of the "suspicious silence and inaction on the side of the
government", ND "is undertaking an initiative, with the tabling of a
relevant motion, for the establishment of a Fact-Finding Commission
so that the truth may shine and the blame will be attributed where it
belongs," he said.

In any case, Michelakis added, after studying the evidence contained in
the case file and exhausting the abilities provided under the current
legislation, ND does not rule out of prospect of immediately seeking
the establishment of a parliamentary preliminary investigation committee.

[04] KKE accuses EU governments of pushing the peoples to abyss of
capitalistic impasses and wars

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) accused the EU governments of "pushing
the peoples to the dark abyss of capitalistic impasses, clashes and wars",
commenting on the decisions of the two-day EU summit that ended on Friday
in Brussels.

A KKE announcement said that the EU 27, "in full unanimity, decided
the escalation of the war on salary scales, labor relations and social
security rights in order to boost the competitiveness of the European
monopolies with the Pact on the Euro and the Stability Pact".

On the matters of direct Greek interest, the KKE said that the Greek
government's usual celebrations of Greek victories and acknowledgement of
the sacrifices of the Greek people, and main opposition New Democracy's
(ND) positions for change of the conditions of the Memorandum, "can no
longer conceal the devastation that their common strategy brings to the
people's interests".

On the EU decisions on the crisis in Libya, the KKE said that "the leading
role of the EU forces in the imperialist war against the people of Libya
shows that the monopolies and their governments are equally aggressive
both internally and abroad".

The KKE stressed that "the working class and popular strata can raise
obstacles and finally topple the capitalistic barbarity, creating their
own alliance for popular authority, socialisation of the monopolies,
for a planned growth, thus ridding the country of the imperialistic
organisations and imperialistic wars".

The Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party said the EU summit decisions in
Brussels gave Greece "a breather, but in a very austere framework".

LAOS stressed the need for "a bold policy which, however, as the year
of the Memorandum that passed has proved, the (Greek) government does
not have".

It added that prime minister George Papandreou, "who, under the
Constitution, bears the exclusive responsibility, must undertake
initiatives for the country to acquire a more determined, credible and
efficient government".

Greece is fighting its own battle under difficult conditions, on a
global level, to distinguish itself on the European scene, for peace,
security and cooperation in its region, Greek Citizens' Protection
Minister Christos Papoutsis said here on Sunday. He was speaking during
a mass held at the Holy Trinity Church in Manhattan to celebrate Greece's
March 25 Independence Day holiday, led by Archbishop of America Demetrios.

The mass was attended by visiting politicians, MPs and diplomats from
Greece and Cyprus, local officials and members of the Greek-American
community. Papoutsis is representing the Greek government.

Papoutsis stressed that Greece was reinforcing ties of friendship with all
peoples in its neighbourhood, while at the same time demanding respect for
international law and the decisions of the United Nations in all cases,
especially in Cyprus for the departure of Turkish occupation troops from
the island.

The mass was followed by a reception at a hotel in the city and then
the Greek parade on 5th Avenue, with the central slogan 'Visit Greece'.

US President Barack Obama greets Archbishop of America Demetrios on
Saturday, March 26, 2011, on the occasion of a special ceremony hosted at
the White House in Washington D.C. to commemorate the 190th anniversary of
the Greek War of Independence against Ottoman rule, which was celebrated
on Friday, March 25, in Greece and throughout ethnic Greek communities
around the world.

The contribution of Greece, the birthplace of democracy, to the founding
and enrichment of the national character of the United States was stressed
by Obama in a proclamation entitled "Greek Independence Day: A National
Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy", issued on Friday.

In the proclamation, Obama also underscored the role played by the Greek
American community as a bridge between the two countries and also as
one of the most dynamic elements of American society.

Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou intends to sue the newspaper
"Proto Thema" for libel over its front-page item under the headline
'express service minister', according to an announcement made by the
finance ministry on Sunday.

According to the newspaper, the minister signed off on decisions to write
off taxes owed by Yiannis Raptopoulos, the owner of the auto assistance
company "Express Service". It also accused the minister of signing off
on decisions to lift measures to freeze the company's bank accounts,
taken by the tax office to ensure payment of outstanding tax debts.

The ministry announcement said the article was part of an intimidation
campaign launched by the newspaper's publisher Themos Anastasiades. It
notes that the publisher has in recent weeks sent two solicitors'
letters to Papaconstantinou, following the replies given by the minister
in Parliament concerning "an unfinished investigation by the financial
crimes squad, at the order of a public prosecutor, into Anastasiades'
affairs". Papaconstantinou had replied to a question put by the head of
the Democratic Alliance party Dora Bakoyannis.

"These solicitors' letters are an unprecedented tactic and an obvious
effort to intimidate and obstruct an investigation by the proper
services," the ministry announcement said. The article in the newspaper
was also in the same vein, it added.

The announcement accused the newspaper of deliberately giving an
incomplete picture and either concealing or distorting important facts,
and finally providing misleading information in order to commit libel.

The ministry noted that the decisions signed by Papaconstantinou did not
concern the 'Express Service' societe anonyme but a private company in
which Raptopoulos was sole owner. It added that the company was seeking
the return of 27 million euro in VAT on the grounds that this should
not have paid because the European Court of Justice considers that auto
assistance subscription services is a form of insurance and therefore
not liable for VAT.

Pointing out that the VAT would rightfully be returned, following the
necessary checks, and offset against the company's tax debts amounting
to roughly 6.6 million euros and 7.0 million euros, the tax office had
decided to partly lift measures to freeze 50 percent of the company's
bank account balance until the amount of the return was decided.

"This decision was taken so as not to put at risk the continued operation
of a company that employs 1,300 people and so that it can meet its tax
obligations," the announcement said.

It also denied the paper's claim that the company owed some 70 million
in taxes or that individuals working in the company had ties with
Papaconstantinou. It further criticised the paper for failing to
cross-check its information or apply to the ministry for necessary
clarifications.

"It is self-evident from the above that the finance minister will pursue
a suit against the newspaper for libel," it concluded.

Greece's judges and prosecutors may be moving toward a work slowdown or
"white strike" in protest against government plans to cut a bonus for
faster handling of cases and a library benefit. This was suggested by
Supreme Court Judge Haralambos Athanassiou, the president of the Judges
and Prosecutors' Union in an interview with the ANA-MPA on Sunday.

During this, Athanassiou accused the government's economic team of passing
measures that attempted to undermine and abolish the independence of
Greek justice.

"During the 'white' strike the judges will reduce the number of rulings
issued each day by 75 percent, leading to exasperation of the public,
offences becoming statute-barred and the country's condemnation for
delays in administering justice," he said.

The bonus for faster completion of cases is set at 870 euros a month
and has already been reduced by 30 percent, as has the library benefit
that varies according to years in service and the rank of the judicial
official.

Athanassiou accused the government of consistently undermining judges
and warned that, if judges were converted into civil servants and the
equal status of the three branches of power abolished, the state itself
would be abolished.

"The result of this will be the non-existence of independent justice
but instead a justice that is manipulated by the desires of the given
executive authority of the time," he said.

Noting a divergence of opinion on this issue among members of the
government, he called on the government to decide whether it wanted judges
that were independent, equal and of equal status with the functionaries
of other two branches, or whether it did not.

The Hellenic Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE) on Saturday reassured that
concentrations of radioactive elements that reached Greece in air masses
on Thursday were miniscule and there was not a slightest affect on the
health or the environment.

There was no cause for concern, nor was any protective measure necessary,
the commission said, adding that no concern has been expressed by any
European country nor the taking of any measures has been proposed.

The EEAE said that between March 24 and 25, readings in Greece showed
concentrations of radioactivity (Iodine-131) in the atmosphere at 125
millionths of a becquerel (Bq) per cubic meter of air. This concentration,
according to the EEAE, is equal to a dose of radiation of one-millionth
of the annual dose from the natural radiation the average human is
exposed to.

The concentrations are so low that they are not even traced by the early
warning stations, in other words the telemetric network of radiation
readings in the environment.

[11] Annual memorial service for Eleftherios, Sophocles Venizelos in Crete

A memorial service was held on Sunday at the monument and gravesides
of 20th century statesmen Eleftherios and Sophocles Venizelos, near
Hania, Crete.

The government was represented by Deputy Environment Minister Nikos
Sifounakis, while MP Olga Kefaloyianni represented main opposition New
Democracy leader Antonis Samaras.

[12] ND honorary president Constantine Mitsotakis also attended the event.

Former contract workers for the Athens municipality continued their sit-in
at Athens City Hall for the sixth day on Sunday, rejecting proposals
made by Athens Mayor George Kaminis for a solution to meet their demands.

Kaminis visited the protestors with a new set of proposals but failed to
convince them to quit the premises so that the municipal council could
vote on the municipality's budget on Monday.

"I made the unions a very specific proposal: we will all sit down
together to discuss a regulatory framework for contract workers that
we will support and promote with the government. I also asked that the
hand over the city hall to the municipal authority so that this can
discuss and vote on the municipality's budget in conditions of complete
freedom. Unfortunately, the unions all rejected my proposal. They
displayed a stance that I am unable to understand from a trade union
standpoint," Kaminis said.

He went on to say that the municipality would go ahead with the vote on
the budget and continue to work in the service of Athens residents.

In the meantime, the contractors are in session within the building to
decide on the future of their protest action.

"The organisation of such a fair in the midst of an economic crisis is an
unprecedented and provocative action," Rita Anestopoulou, a member of the
nationwide coordinating committee of animal rights groups, told ANA-MPA.

According to rights groups representatives, an estimated 50 million
animals are killed annually throughout the world for the fur trade.

Arsonists were behind a blaze that gutted the offices of the travel
agency Aeroservices AEE, on the second floor of a five-storey building
in the Athens suburb of Halandri. The fire was set on Sunday morning by
the culprits, who broke through the ground-floor entrance of the office
block and then into the trave agency itself.

They used a incendiary device and the flames spread throughout the
premises, damaging office furniture, office supplies and other equipment.

The fire was finally put out by 14 fire-fighters using six
fire-engines. Fire brigade experts then searched the scene and found the
remains of gas canisters and other items used to make the incendiary
device. An inquiry into the arsonist attack is being carried out by
the police.

Two foreign nationals resident in Turkey, one from Somalia and the other
from Sudan, were arrested by immigration police in Orestiada on Sunday
after they were caught transporting eight illegal immigrants into Greece
from Turkey in a boat.

The boat and 2080 U.S. dollars found in their possession were confiscated
and they were charged with migrant trafficking.

Two light earthquakes were recorded early Saturday off the island of
Lesvos and the Halkidiki peninsula.

According to the Thessaloniki Aristotle University's Geophysics
Laboratory, a trembler measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale was recorded
in the sea area northwest of the city of Mytilene (Lesvos) at 5:51 a.m.,
while a few minutes later, at 5:59 a.m., a trembler measuring 2.5 on
the Richter scale was recorded in the bay of Ierissos, Halkidiki.

According to seismologists, there is no need for concern due to the
above phenomena.